Macy's dressing mannequins up like Borgia Popes (Lent - the season to offend Catholics)

Catholic League ^ | March 31, 2011 | William Donohue

[NYer]

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on how Macy's department store is offending Catholics:

Why Macy's would want to pick a fight with Catholics during the Lenten season is not known, but that it has is certain. Here's the background.

This weekend, Showtime will begin airing a series, "The Borgias," a corrupt Spanish family, one of whose members became pope. Everyone, including devout Catholics, agrees this is a sordid story in Catholic history. That Macy's has chosen to celebrate this ugly chapter is another matter altogether.

On the 7th Avenue side of the Macy's Herald Square store (between 34th and 35th Street), there is a large window display of manikins dressed as the pope, bishops, et al. In plain letters it says, "The Borgias: The Original Crime Family"; it advertises the season premiere, with the Showtime logo off to the side. To see a picture of it, click here.

On Tuesday, Catholic League vice president Bernadette Brady called one of Macy's media managers, Alyssa Bendetson, registering our concerns, as well as those of our members who contacted us; she was also sent a copy of our release from March 18 on the series. She pledged to get back to us with a response. It is now obvious that Macy's is taking this matter lightly.

The series was written by an atheist who hates the Catholic Church, Neil Jordan. Macy's knows this. We are approaching the heart of the Easter season, yet Macy's has decided that offending Catholics is worth the risk. We'll see.

Contact Bendetson's boss, VP Elina Kazan: elina.kazan@macys.com

[dangus]

(Just to be clear, by the fall of Alexander VI, I do mean his perdition.)

[dangus]

Actually: There is a third Borgia pope. Again, quite virtuous: Innocent X.